April

I’m a Consultant Clinical Scientist, specialising in haematology and blood cancer diagnostics. In addition to A-level tuition, I provide teaching to a wide range of audiences, including undergraduate medical students, nurses, qualified doctors and other scientists. This means I have a wealth of tutoring experience and can adopt my teaching style to fit the needs of the student, ensuring they get the most out of each session. I have also helped create curricula for competitive national scientific training programmes, and I contribute to examining a range of professional assessments, so I understand both the teaching and testing processes and can help students overcome their exam worries by incorporating exam technique from the very first lesson.

I have an excellent academic record, having been awarded a postgraduate diploma from the University of Manchester, a master’s degree (distinction) from the University of Nottingham and a 2:1(Hons) BSc from the University of Sheffield. I am also a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists for Clinical Haematology, one of only a handful of people in the country to have been awarded this title. I have a keen interest in medical research and in addition to being awarded the University of Nottingham School of Life Sciences prize for my MSc research paper, I have also been published in several scientific journals, including the International Journal of Laboratory Haematology and Nature Communications.

I specialise in biology tuition and in addition to helping my students understand the curriculum material, I also help with exam techniques, identifying appropriate university courses, and guidance on future career progression routes.

Tutoring Experience

I have over 10 years of tutoring experience, having started tutoring whilst studying for my undergraduate degree. While I initially started teaching as a way of supporting myself through university, I quickly found that not only was tutoring something I really enjoyed, it was something I appeared to have a talent for. All of my A-level students saw significant improvements in their grades following my tuition, as well as their general enjoyment of the subject. When I began working in the NHS, I sought out teaching opportunities and this has culminated in my involvement in the design of national education programmes within my specialism, presenting educational symposia at international scientific conferences, and becoming a senior examiner for the highest professional examination available in my field.

Being involved in the NHS, especially at Consultant level, I am used to constantly updating my knowledge and skills. With tutoring, this includes identifying changes to the curriculum and evolving my teaching techniques to fit a changing student audience. I have experience of all mainstream examination boards and I’m more than qualified to teach A-level biology material to a high standard.

Tutoring Approach

I am a friendly, patient and understanding tutor who focuses on the “how” and the “why”, not just the “what”. My education experience has taught me that understanding concepts is much better than memorising them, and I try to incorporate this into every aspect of my teaching. I also recognise that not all students understand everything straight away, and I don't get frustrated by that fact; instead, I try to show students a different view of the concepts they find difficult and work together to find an explanation that suits their learning style.

I also think it’s important to create a relaxed atmosphere so tutees are comfortable to ask questions and explain which aspects they don't understand, without fear of embarrassment. This then allows us to tackle these areas, resulting in a greater understanding of the material and an improved sense of self-confidence.